Pneumatic dispatch system



July 18, 1944 F. J. BLUME 2,353,870

PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEM Filed'F'eb.v 16, 1942 5 Sheets-Shed l" July 18, 1944; F. J. BLUME 2,353,870

PNEUMATIG DISPATCH-SYSTEM y Filed Feb. 16, 1942 `3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FMMIR IBL/M,

lBY

July 18, 1944. y FQJ. BLUME r2,353,870

PNEUMATIC DI SPATCH4 SYSTEM `Filed Feb. 16, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 P2 Y' n INVENTOR,

Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES yPATENT Y OFFICE PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEM Frank J. Blume, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 16, 1942, Serial No. 431,045 7 claims. (c1. 243-16) l This invention relates to quickly passing or transferring messages or parcels from place to place as is necessary in industrial plants and stores; in industrial plants it becomes necessary to send messages from one department to another and to be able to send such messages from any of the several stations or departments to any other station as desired. This invention in its simplest form may be used in retail stores where the sales clerks at the several counters always are required to send the sales checkand the cash to the cashers ofce which is often located on the balcony. This inventionis designed to greatly improve the transmitting of messages of any character from one place to another. The objects of this invention are to transmit parcels from place to place ina very expeditious manner; to enable the selection of the station to which a parcel should be delivered; to employ both air under vacuum pressure and electricity to accomplish the desired results; to employ a single tube to send and receive a parcel; to employ an electrically operated switch at each station to unlock the exit door at thestation; to provide each carrier with mechanism which will register with other mechanism at its .particular station to unlock the exitldoor; to enlobjects to become apparent from the description to follow.

To describe the invention so that others versed in the art to which it pertains can make and use the same, it is illustrated on the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view'through the tubing showing the construction at a station; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part Yshowing the exit door at Va station unlocked; Fig. 3, is a sectional View showing a carrier about to enter the intakeend of the tube; Fig. 4, is a sectional view on line A4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, is a diagrammatcal view showing.` a plurality of stations connected on a single line of tubing; Fig. 6, is a diagrammatical view showing how one electrical contact on a carrier could be connected to any one of nine other electrical contacts on vthe same carrier; Fig." .71,

is a diagrammatical View showing how the carrier tube may be extended through each station before returning to the sending station; Fig. 8, is a similar viewshowingv the carrier tube made endless and arranged so'that a carrier may be sent from any of the numerous stations on the line to any other station on the line; Fig. 9, is a plan view of a carrier showing how the electrical contact spring can be changed from one position to another and Fig. 10, is a diagrammatical view showing how suction and pressure of air may be applied to the carrier tube.

VSimilar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As seen in Fig. 1, the tube Ill enters the station from the right thence extends up a short distance where it isl bent into a .three-,quarter circle I I, thence itV extends down past the staationjexit door from whence vit extends to the ,nextstation where it is again .bent into an upwardly extending three-,quarter circle as shown at II. Each station is constructed similarly and therefore only one station is shown and will be described. Each carrier is constructed with the hollow centerportion I2 and the larger end kpor- 'tions I3 usually made of felt or some other soft material.` One end of eachcarrier is made removable to permit placing some cash vor other material inside the ,portion I2. 4Each carrier has secured to it the two metal springs I4 which are electrically connected .andV are arranged to make electrical contact with the stationary shoes I5 near each station,v rigidly secured to the tube Il) but electrically insulated from the tube l. Each Ashoe I5 is connected by a wire ISto the coil of Va solenoid Il, and a source of electric energy I8 `is"connected in'one of the Wires I6 so as Vto make acomplete electric circuit from one shoe I5 to the other shoe I5. vThe metal springs I4 are electrically connected by the wire I9 seen in 26 to the tube lo, and has at its ,free end the extending lip 2l, which, when the door `is locked rests on the hook ocatch 22as seen in Fig. l.

Whenthe .proper carrier passes up in tube I just beforeentering the three-quarter circle II the metal springs lIII will contact the shoes I5 and close the electric circuit V4through the coil Ioisolenoicl .Il and causea-pull-onrod 2l, and

move. therhook of thecatch22 .from under the and prevent the insertion of the carrier.

lip 21; this movement of catch 22 will permit the block 24 to drop by gravity onto the hook of catch 22, as seen in Fig. 2, thus preventing the catch 22 being moved to have its hook under the lip 21 of the door by the coiled spring 28. The door 25 is normally held up in a closed position by the air suction within the tube I0, and the light spring 29. Thus when said carrier has traveled around in the three-quarter circle II to about diametrically opposite the vertical portion of tube I it will drop down against the upper inclined surface of the door 25 and if, as was just described, the said door is unlocked the inertia of the carrier will open the door 25 downwardly, swinging the same on its rpivot 26 Yand the carrier will drop into the basket 29 immediately below the door 25. The air suction and the spring 29 will move the door upward to a closed position. It will be noted that when the door returns to a closed position its lip 21 will contact the lower end of thesliding block 24 and lift same so that the hook of catch 22 will again come to rest under the lip 21 of the door `angle into the tube I0.

In Fig. 3, is shown an enlarged view of a carrn r contact I4 (not shown) could be tied up with eight other contacts on the carrier and so on until the ninth contact I4 (not shown) is reached making in all forty-four different combinations for the carriers, in other words fortyfour stations could be accommodated when ten contacts are on each carrier. More or less contacts could be provided on larger or smaller carriers. l

In Fig. 7, s shown diagrammatically a system having a single tube I0", the return portion of the tube designated by I0 and arrows pointing to the right, passing through each station, where it is provided with an intake branch III'" simply provided with a sealing cover 4I as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In a system of this construction it is not necessary to furnish 25, as seen in Fig. 1. A'Ihe upper side of the rier and the open end of the tube I0, into which, f

the carrier is about to be lplaced. It is important that the carrier be inserted into the tube I0 in the proper'position and to this end each carrier is made with a depressed portion 29" at each end, but the front end of each carrier has an extension 30 positioned to contact the push pin 3|, pivotally connected to the one arm of the bell crank lever 32, pivoted at 33, and which has pivoted to its other arm the sliding rod 34 extending down through a perfora-J tion in the barricade 35, which is pivoted at 36 to a frame 31 made rigid with the tube I0. The lower end of the sliding rod 34 is made to engage the shoulder 38 and lock the barricade 35 against swinging downward to the left into the pocket 39 provided therefor in the frame 31.

A coiled contracting spring 40 yieldingly'holds the sliding rod 34 'down with itsilower end in the path of the shoulder 38. A light spring 4I normally yieldingly holds the barricade 35 up vin the path of a carrier being inserted into the tube I Il. Thus ifa carrier is presented to the entrance of tube I0 in an incorrect position, the barricade 35 will'remain in a locked position Such a barricade'35 and its connections is provided at each station along the entire line of tubing I0 and in addition to such barricade at each station a closure door 4I' 'is hinged to the end of the inlet branch I0 of the tube as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, to seal the tube against the entrance of any air.

In Fig. 5, is shown diagrammatically the tube kIE) connecting eighteen stations and having its ends, both intake and discharge, at a location which might represent the cashier station in a retail store. A device for creating an air suction is shown at 42.

In Fig. 6, is shown diagrammatically the numerous combinations which can Vbe provided on each of the carriers when ten electrical contacts are provided for the carriers in the system. It will be noted that Ythe electrical contact I4 on the lower side'of the carrier shown may be electrically connected with any of the other nine electric contacts on the carrier. Thus the next a barricade 35 such as is shown in Fig. 3 because thek returning carriers pass through return branch tube I Il having arrows pointing to the right and do not pass any station exit doors 25.

In Fig. 8, is shown diagrammatically a system having an endless tube IIl"", the one branch passing through all the stations is provided with an exit door 25 at each station and the other branch passing through all the stations is provided with an intake branch I0" at each station. Each intake branch I0 is provided with a barricade 35 in the extension 31 and a sealing door 4I' while an exit door 25 identical with the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided at each station. In the drawings in Fig. 8, four stations are indicated by the letters A, B, C and D, and with this arrangement of tubing it is possible to send a carrier from any one station to any one of the other stations by sim-ply placing the one contact I4 on the carrier, see Fig. 9, to register with the shoes I5 at the station where it is desired to have the carrier delivered. 'I'hus the carrier shown in Fig. 9, has the contact I4 set at the position indicated by C, which will cause the carrier to be discharged at the station indicated by C in Fig. 8. Thus the attendant at any of the stations A, B, C or D can deliver a message or parcel to any one of the said stations desired.

The carriers and tube are made of a form in cross section to prevent the carriers from rotating in the tube at any time, in the drawings they are shown oval in cross section.

In operation, referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, which illustrate a system designed for retail stores, each sales station is provided with one or more carriers, the carriers at any one station having theV springs I4 made to co-operate with the contact shoes I5 at that particular station. The sales clerk cplaces the sales check and money into the carrier and then proceeds to place the carrier into the tube branch I0 by opening the door 4I' which is quickly closed by spring pres- 'sure in addition to the air suction. The carrier is drawn through the tube I Il byV air suction caused by the air suction device 42 and nally is discharged into the basket 43 shown in Fig. 5. When the sales clerk opens the door 4I -to insert the carrier into the tube I0 the air entering through said door opening Ywill immediately cause all oncoming carriers, ifthere fbe any, to stop because there will be no ysuction of air in the tube I0 back of this point.u Thusjall'interference of carriers traveling in tube I0 with any carrier being introduced into the tube I0 -is avoided.

, At the cashier station, after the proper change is placed into the carrier, the carrier is placed 'transit and being operative when maintained in into the tube IU seen in Fig. 3, and the air suction will draw it along in tube I until it reaches the station where its two contacts or metal springs I4 register with and contact the shoes I5; the

contacting of the springs I4 with the shoes I5 will close the circuit from source of energy I8, coil of solenoid II, wires I6 and back to source of energy I8. This as previously described will unlock the door at that station and when the carrier descends and hits the door, the door will.

open and the carrier will fall into the basket 29. As the carrier passes other stations Where the door 25 is not unlocked the carrier Will descend and hit the` inclined surface of the door and pass the station and continue traveling in,-

tube IS. Thus many carriers are delivered to diiferent stations by the use of a single pneumatic tube which greatly reduces the cost of installation and maintenance.

Referring to Fig. '7, which system is designedv either for retail store service or industrial plant service, both ends of the tube I0" are open at a station to which all carriers are delivered and from which station all carriers are sent to the diierent stations along the line. A closure door 4 I and a source of air suction 42 is connected to the receiving end of tube I0" and the other end of said tube I0 is provided with the regulation barrier shown in Fig. 3, which is pivoted in the frame 31. In this system the return tube I coming from the farthest station on the line has an upward extension at each station Where it is provided with an inlet branch 10"' and each such branch has a closure cover 4I' as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Since all the carriers from all the stations are returned to the sending out station through the return tube it is not necessary to have the barrier 35 with its frame 31 at all the outlying stations. Thus, on account of its cheapness, this system may be preferred in some industrial plants.

Referring to Fig. 8, which system is especially designed for industrial plants the tube I0"" is made endless with a source of air suction 42 placed along the line wherever convenient. An air-shutoff gate 44 is provided between the air outlet 45 and the air inlet 46 with the proper grating over each to prevent the carriers entering same. As shown the tube I0 has the conventional semicircular portion I I at each station, also the exit door 25. Another portion of the tube Ibm has the upturned portions 4'I at each station provided with the intakes IU'" as described. If the attendent at station A desires to send a carrier to station D the attendent at station A sets the spring contact I4 to D on the carrier seen in Fig. 9, and deposits the carrier into the tube I0". If the attendent at station D desires to send a carrier to station B the spring contact I4 is set to register With B on the carrier seen in Fig. 9, and so on.

Fig. 10, illustrates how a fan or source of air suction i2 may have its intake connected by tube 45 to the carrier transmitting tube I0 on one side of the damper 44 and its discharge end connected to the carrier transmitting tube I0 by tube 46 on the other side of the damper 44.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Mechanism for controlling the destination of carriers to any one of a plurality of receiving stations connected in a single dispatch tube line from any one of said stations, each station having a carrier discharge opening and a valve therefor arranged to be impacted by carriers in closed position under carrier impact to by-pass carriers through the station, comprising, in combination, means operatively related to each station for positively latching its valve in closed position, a normally deenergized control unit for each valve latching means adapted when energized to render said latching means ineffective and thereby condition said valve for opening movement under carrier impact, means on the carrier. in transit for energizing only its c0- cperating station valve control unit, and an inclined upward extension on each station valve against which all passing carriers impact and which serves to deect the impacting carrier into the tube line.

2. Mechanism for controlling from any one station the destination of carriers to any one of a plurality of stations connected in a single dispatch tube line, each station having a carrier discharge opening and a valve closing said opening and arranged to be impacted by carriers in transit, comprising, in combination, latching means associated with each of said stations for maintaining the valve thereof in closed position, each said means including a latch carried by the tube line and a floating block normally interlocked therewith, said block being movable by gravity upon the latch being moved to free the Valve for opening, a normally deenergized control unit operatively related to said latching means adapted when energized to render said latching l means ineffective, thereby to condition the unlatched valve for opening under impact of the carrier, and operable means at each station for energizing any one of said control units.

3. Mechanism for controlling the destination of carriers to any one of a plurality of stations connected in a single dispatch tube line, each station having a carrier discharge opening and a valve having an inclined impacting surface therefore arranged to be impacted by carriers in transit and being operative when maintained in closed position under carrier impact to by-pass carriers through the station, comprising, in combination, means operatively related to each station for positively latching its valve in closed position, an electrical control for each valve including a solenoid adapted when energized to render said latching means ineiective, thereby to condition said valve for opening under carrier impact, a normally open switch in series with said solenoid, means for closing said switch in response to the approach of a carrier intended to be discharged at the station, such carrier having its electric contacts to operate the solenoid circuit in its station arranged in proper relation to one end of the carrier, and a pivoted bale locked against movement at each entrance to the tube line, which battle can only be unlocked for movement by the presentation of the proper end of each carrier to the entrance.

4. In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, the combination of a dispatch tube line, a plurality of stations connected therein in series relation, each station having a carrier discharge opening and a valve therefor normally in its closed position and said valve being provided with an inclined surface which is impacted by carriers in transit, comprising normally operative valve latching means associated with each of the stations for maintaining the valve thereof closed under carrier impact, said latching means including a latching member pivoted on the dispatch tube line, said inclined surface of the valve when contacted by the carrier impacting same will direct the carrier through the station into the line.`

5.- In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, the combination of a dispatch tube line, a plurality of stations connectedl therein in series relation, each station having a carrier discharge opening controlled by an electric circuit closed by contacts on the passing carrier and a carrier inserting opening, each inserting opening provided with a barricade having a push pin so constructed and arranged that a carrier can be inserted only when presented with the proper end .to have the electric contacts on same properly presented at the station. I

6. In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, the combination of, a dispatch tube line, a plurality of Vstations connected therein in series relation, each station comprising a carrier dischargeopening controlled by an electric circuit closed by contacts on the carrier and a carrier. inserting opening, each inserting opening constructed with a barrier mounted on a pivot carried on the tube line structure and biased to a position to obstruct the free passage of a carrier, a catch to prevent the moving of the barrier from its obstructing vposition actuated by the proper end of each carried to actuate said catch to release said barrier `for movement out of the path of the carrierV presented to the inserting opening.

7.. In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, the combination of a dispatch tube line, a plurality of stations connected therein in series relation, a plurality of carriers having electric contacts properly arranged with relation to one end of the carrier, each station comprising a carrier discharge opening and a carrier inserting opening, each inserting opening constructed With a barrier to prevent the improper insertion of a carrier and a lock to prevent moving the barrier out of its obstructing position, and an element on one end of each carrier to move said lock on `the barrier to enable moving the barrier out of its obstructing position.

FRANK J. BLUME. 

